Skillet Chili Mac & Cheese

Skillet Chili Mac & Cheese is cheesy, spicy, and comforting! It’s the best of both worlds and it comes together in just one skillet!

Greetings, peeps – hope you had a nice weekend!

What with Ben and I being super cool and everything, I had no idea this was the weekend for Halloween parties until I opened Instagram on Sunday morning to see wizards, zombies, mermaids, and everything in between flooding my feed. FUN!

The last time Ben and I went to a Halloween party was four years ago when I dressed up like Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, and Ben was forced to dress as went as her coach Bela Karolyi. It was HIGH-larious, I tell ya’. Did you dress up this weekend?

Anyway, in lieu of getting down to the Monster Mash, my Mom and I attended the last Farmers’ Market of the season Saturday morning. It wasn’t as cold as I thought it was going to be, but perhaps that’s because I was rocking 4 layers. Ok…it was still pretty cold!

Although the crowds and booths were nothing compared to their former summer splendor, there was still a festive feeling in the air as everyone scrambled to make one final stop at their favorite spot before the market shut down for the all-too-long winter hiatus.

The only thing sweeter than the mini pumpkin and gourd displays, were the puppies roaming the market. We saw at least a dozen of them (who knew fall was such a popular time to get a pooch?) but the cutest was definitely this miniature bulldog, which Ben would have fainted over. He could barely control his limbs, it was SO ADORABLE!

Yesterday we spent the afternoon with the fam, as my niece Evie was baptized! Ben and I are her Godparents, which we couldn’t be more thrilled about. :)

I forgot my memory card at home, but my Mom got the most hilarious shot of Evie and my brother Justin afterwards. I can’t get over the exact same expression on their faces. Like father, like daughter! ;)

After all the hullabaloo died down, Ben and I retreated home to enjoy a warm & cozy skillet-supper for…supper. Skillet Chili Mac & Cheese.

I featured this recipe on a Friday Favorites post almost exactly 1 year ago and have had the best intentions of making it nearly every week since. Does that ever happen to you?

Well, with the 50s and lower set firmly in our sights for the next 5 months (or longer – SOB!) I thought now would be the perfect time to post the hearty supper recipe featuring ground beef, tomatoes, kidney beans, zesty spices, and elbow macaroni cooked together in one skillet. Quick, comforting, and, most important – easy to clean up!

Somewhere between spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, and chili, this dish is a total crowd pleaser.

Start the Skillet Chili Mac & Cheese by browning 1lb ground beef in a huge skillet – we’re talkin’ the biggest one you own – with 1/2 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and a little salt & pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, then drain and return everything to the skillet.

Next add 1-15oz can petite diced tomatoes that’s been slightly drained of its juices, and 6oz tomato paste, followed by 4 cups beef broth and 1 can kidney beans that has been drained & rinsed.

The tomato juices and broth will cook the pasta right in the skillet, instead of having to use a separate one to cook it in. Yet another reason why I absolutely adore these 1-skillet dishes!

Place a lid on top of the skillet then simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the pasta is just barely al dente. It’s ok if it still has a little bite, as it will continue to cook a bit in the piping hot liquid.

Finally, stir in 2 cups shredded 2% milk reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, which is about 7oz, until smooth. I was hesitant to try this low-fat cheese, but it melted like a dream. I would have never known it wasn’t full-fat!

Let the skillet sit and thicken for 10 minutes, then scoop and serve with extra shredded cheese, if desired (I did,) crushed tortilla chips, or chopped green onions for a fresh bite.

Directions

Add ground beef, onion, and garlic to a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt & pepper then cook beef until no longer pink. Drain then return to the skillet.

Add petite diced tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, beef broth, and spices to the skillet. Bring to a boil then add macaroni noodles and place a lid on top. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until noodles are just barely al dente (do not overcook,) stirring once. Add cheese then stir until smooth. Let dish sit off the heat and thicken for 10 minutes before serving.

This skillet chili mac and cheese looks so easy and comforting! I dressed up as the Paperbag Princess on Saturday – and made my own costume out of brown paper and packing tape – SO fun and I got tons of compliments on it too. I did post the requisite Instagram photo (if I’ve made you curious, you can find me @onceuponarecipe). ;) Halloween is so fun!

This is perfect timing! As I read this entry today we are hunkering down here in Maryland battling Hurricane Sandy. Comfort food is needed and I am cooking this as we speak before we lose power!! I had to improvise with a few of the ingredients but hopefully it turns out ok – Thanks!!!

first of all, I love the rainbow of spices in your prep bowl! the more color the better :) secondly, either your brother is REALLY TALL, or you are REALLY SHORT. or both! ;) I’m excited to make this, my husband loves chili mac. PINNED! (like 99.9% of the rest of your recipes!)

I just have to ask if the Papusa lady was at the Farmer’s Market Saturday? Since they had cancelled a few weeks ago due to the cold, we wimped out and stayed home figuring they wouldn’t be there again and we wouldn’t be able to get our papusa fix for the last time of the season. My husband LOVES the spinach and cheese papusas!

[…] other news, hurricane dinner last night was an awesome recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. Her Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese was to.die.for! The only thing was that I made in my Dutch oven not my skillet. Still came out […]

just finished eating a bowl of this, good stuff, and my picky little one agrees so this recipe is a keeper :) Thanks! I wanted whole wheat macaroni but couldn’t find any so I subbed whole wheat mini shells instead

Found your recipe through Google. I was hankering for a comfort meal on this cold and rainy day. I changed a few things to use what I had on hand:
* 16oz tomato puree in place of the diced tomatoes and tomato puree
* I omitted the beef. We are eating less meat these days so I didn’t have any here. Thought about throwing in some chopped up leftover meatballs, though.
* penne and rotini in place of macaroni (open boxes with just enough left)
* marble cheddar in place of sharp
* topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips

Just made this! It was delicious. Didn’t do the beans (generally Texans don’t do beans in chili) and used some beef consomme as, I didn’t have enough beef broth. Also used tomatoes with green chilies and a fresh jalapeno-it had a little ‘kick’. …Topped with more cheese, green onions and chopped avocado. Thanks for sharing :-)
P.S.- Also loved the cobb salad you recently posted after your trip to the wine country.

I just discovered you! i’m an iowa girl by marriage. we just visited Ames for my husband’s hs reunion and to eat sweet corn. I loved this skillet food and will check out many more easy eats. i blog feast on fridays so will feature some of yours at: food for body and soul – welcomeheart.com after I’ve fed both. thanks!

[…] Skillet Chili Mac And Cheese. I love this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats and have made it myself multiple times. It combines the best of both worlds- chili and Mac and cheese, is cooked right in your skillet, and is very easy to make! Kidney beans are added to cheese, noodles, and ground beef for a delicious combo. […]

This is a great recipe, my whole family ate it. Made some cornbread to go with it great one pot dinner! I will make this many many times. Even with my big eaters 3 grown boys and my daughter and I we still had left overs. Another great meal for leftover. The taste was so good and it was the perfect consistency!
Thank you!!

SO GOOD. Thank you! Going into the regular rotation. Easy and very healthy as I used very lean ground beef and Barilla Plus pasta. I am a registered dietitian in Eastern Iowa and just LOVE your posts. You do an awesome job of coming up with delicious yet healthy recipes :)

I just want to lyk, my husband and I make this on a very regular basis for dinner! It’s his favorite meal and his whole face lights up when I tell him were having Skillet Chili Mac! Haha. Because we love it, I wondered if it would freeze well? Have you ever tried it?

That is so awesome!! Unfortunately I think the macaroni might get soggy if you froze >> reheated the dish, BUT if you save a portion the next time you make the dish you could freeze it and have a little trial run before freezing an entire batch!

I have been making this recipe for 3 years, it is awesome and a great fall comfort meal my hubby loves it and when my kids come over for dinner they eat it up. I usually use kidney beans but have substituted chilibeans, or pinto beans if I have no kidney on hand, most of the time I have everything on hand :) thanks for a great recipe

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hi, i’m kristin!

I'm a Midwestern wife and Mama of two little boys and a baby girl. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013, Iowa Girl Eats is a place I share delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Visit my Recipe Index for inspiration!MORE ABOUT ME

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